The Register-Herald, Beckley, West Virginia

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  • Bridge Day attendees take in the view of the New River Gorge Bridge. Lisa Strader, communications director for the Southern West Virginia Convention & Visitors Bureau, said it’s great anytime local attractions are named to lists. file photo

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May 31, 2011

Bridge named to top 10 arches list

By Nick Brockman Register-Herald Reporter

The longest steel arch bridge in the Western Hemisphere accepted another accolade with VirtualTourist.com’s “World’s Top 10 Arches” rankings.

The New River Gorge Bridge was ranked sixth in the website’s list that included all kinds of arches from bridges, rock formations and even the famed McDonald’s golden arch.

Delicate Arch of Arches National Park in Moab, Utah, ranked first with the St. Louis Gateway Arch placing second and the Reno Arch, the welcome sign to “The Biggest Little City in the World,” third.

That’s a pretty good list of company, said Lisa Strader, communications director for the Southern West Virginia Convention & Visitors Bureau.

“I think the New River Gorge Bridge being put with the other icons will be good for southern West Virginia and for more branding of the New River Gorge region,” she said.

Strader said during a recent meeting of CVB staff one representative who works at Tamarack said the most frequently asked question she receives is how to get to the bridge.

“People want to know where it is and how to get there because that is something that when people are passing through this area or visiting this area, it’s the one thing they do want to see,” she said.

Strader said it’s great anytime local attractions are named to such lists because it promotes the rest of the region. Strader cited notoriety from Fayetteville’s inclusion on Budget Travel Magazine’s Top 10 Coolest Small Towns in America list and recognition of Bridge Day as one of the country’s best festivals.

No matter how it’s sliced, the bridge seems to be southern West Virginia’s top attraction for visitors.

“They want to see the bridge, they want to see the overlook and they want to see the river, and it’s a good place to stop and get all that in one place,” Strader said. “You get these great views, you get to see the river, you get the history. The National Park Service rangers are always there to answer questions.

“I do believe it’s a major attraction, and if they don’t know anything else about our region, they know about our bridge, and we can build off that and tell them what else is here.”

— E-mail: nbrockman@register-herald.com

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